theraineysisters knitting and so much more

March 25, 2011

From Sally — Spring Snow

Filed under: Spring Snow Cardigan — surly @ 2:45 pm

Spring in Washington means cherry blossoms. A few days ago, it was in the seventies here in Washington, DC.  My bulbs began to poke timidly out of the ground, and one of my cherry trees blossomed open, even while the buds on its more cautious yard mates stayed firmly closed.

Sadly, caution may have been wiser — our temperatures dipped down into the thirties last night and we could have snow this weekend. Cherry blossoms are fragile, and I’m afraid our intrepid early blooms won’t last.

Washington’s most famous cherry trees — those that line the Tidal Basin — were a gift from Japan, and this spring my thoughts have turned frequently to Japan for many reasons. Just a day or two before the horrible earthquake and tsunami, I started working on another Japanese sweater pattern. I love Japanese patterns because they are so beautiful and unusual. And I love how even the most complex patterns are reduced to a few charts that experienced knitters can follow without speaking a word of Japanese.

The cardigan I’m knitting is by Hitomi Shida, and was published in the Let’s Knit Series (Couture Knit 12: Adult Luxury Knits).

I’m knitting it in Blue Sky Alpaca’s Royal Alpaca in the color Cameo. I’m working it in one piece to the armholes. It’s not a difficult pattern, but there is patterning on the wrong and right sides so I have to pay some attention. I started with a provisional cast on in waste yarn, which is why there is a white “border.” The collar, button bands, and hem are knit at the end in one piece. At least I think they are. I’ll worry about that after I finish the body and sleeves.

The other object in the photo is a pair of Japanese scissors that I bought when I was in Minneapolis visiting Susan. (They came from Bella Lana.) They are a wonderful marriage of beauty and function: very pretty, but also very sharp.

8 Comments »

  1. This sweater is gorgeous! What beautiful design!

    And…your cherry blossoms are stunning! Hopefully, they won’t freeze and you will get to enjoy them for a long time this spring!

    Comment by Barb — March 25, 2011 @ 3:06 pm

  2. Lovely! Hope those gorgeous cherry blossoms make it, too. Spring is so fickle. . .

    Comment by Kym — March 25, 2011 @ 5:44 pm

  3. How very beautiful, both the Cherry Blossoms and the Japanese sweater. I lived part of my life in the D.C. area and remember how excited we were when those blossoms bloomed. The blooming was a sure sign that spring was near. And how poignant that you are knitting that pattern with the recent events. It will always be a memorial to you of the earthquake in Japan.

    Comment by Rebecca — March 25, 2011 @ 6:42 pm

  4. Beautiful sweater design. And beautiful knitting so far on it. I agree with Rebecca’s thoughts on its poignancy.

    I’m in DC, too. My family is heading out to Kenwood tomorrow to see the blossoms in case they don’t last the weekend.

    Comment by dclulu — March 25, 2011 @ 7:43 pm

  5. Nice photos! And I’ve had my eye on that cardigan for a while, so I’ll be looking forward to seeing the progress.

    Comment by Cheryl S. — March 25, 2011 @ 9:06 pm

  6. Where did you find Couture Knits? This is really beautiful and the yarn is also.

    Comment by Janet — March 26, 2011 @ 7:24 am

  7. What a fabulous marriage of pattern and yarn. I’m drooling.

    Comment by Robin F. — March 26, 2011 @ 4:32 pm

  8. Sally, where do you get the Japanese pattern books, Amazon says they are unavailable, and I am in love with them! Carolyn

    Comment by carolyn — March 26, 2011 @ 6:08 pm

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